Satiety, or a feeling of “fullness” in the absence of hunger, is an important factor in prevention of weight gain and achieving weight loss. If consumption of food products results in satiety, the consumer will be able to eat less and consume fewer calories. Some recent attention has been given to the characteristics of foods that result in a high level of satiety. For example, the Holt Satiety Index study rated different foods on their ability to satisfy hunger. The results of Holt's study indicate that satiety is related to the weight of the food consumed; the foods that weigh the most tend to be more satisfying independent of the number of calories they contain. Higher amounts of certain nutrients, such as protein and dietary fiber, also appear to improve satiety. Separate lines of research suggest that food form may also influence hunger and satiety, specifically, foods that are slowly digested on account of being more physically intact and therefore resistant to rapid digestion are more satisfying.
Commercially available bars and beverages often contain high protein, and sometimes also high fiber to attempt to promote high satiety with relatively few calories. Both bars and beverages have been rather common, perhaps due to their relative convenience, particularly for those who are too busy to consume regular meals. Typically these products contain about 50-150 calories (kcal) per portion. They often are composed of milk proteins and soluble fruit or vegetable pulp for fiber, and may include calcium, and cathetins to increase the metabolic rate.
Conventional wisdom suggests that once a person is satiated or “feels full”, they will stop eating, which in turn will lead to weight loss or at least the absence or mitigation of weight gain. However, the composition of existing bars and beverages emphasizes only protein and soluble (rather than insoluble) fiber, which may not be optimal for long-term satiety. They are also typically sweet, having high sugar content or being sweetened with high amounts of artificial sweeteners to improve taste, and this may reduce the impact of high fiber and protein on satiety. It would be desirable to provide a low-sugar solid food product that has high insoluble fiber content, high protein content, and/or increases satiety throughout the day with incorporation of slowly digested food particles.